Federal authorities have arrested two Mexican nationals in Florida as part of an ongoing investigation involving illegal reentry and fraudulent documents, according to a recent announcement by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Crescencio Diaz-Diaz, 36, and Marcelo Perez-Santiz, 33, were both charged in federal court with illegal reentry after being deported multiple times. Diaz-Diaz also faces additional charges for possession and use of fraudulent employment authorization documents.
According to court filings, Diaz-Diaz reentered the United States illegally after his removal in 2020. Agents with ICE encountered him during a federal criminal search operation conducted at Emerald Coast Lawns, a landscaping business located in Navarre, and a nearby residence.
During the operation, agents seized a forged permanent resident card and a social security card bearing Diaz-Diaz’s photo but the identifying information of another individual. He allegedly admitted to using the fake documents to gain employment at Emerald Coast.
Perez-Santiz had previously been deported on three separate occasions in 2012. Officials located him in February at the same Navarre business and arrested him July 23 following a criminal complaint. If convicted, Perez-Santiz faces up to two years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
“The repeated entry of criminal aliens and their use of fraudulent documents undermines the integrity of our immigration system and puts honest employers at risk,” said ERO Miami Field Office Director Garrett Ripa. “ICE remains committed to upholding public safety by targeting individuals who violate federal law and reenter the country illegally.”
The investigation is being led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations, in coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Highway Patrol, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia H. Forbes is prosecuting both cases.
Diaz-Diaz and Perez-Santiz remain in federal custody pending legal proceedings.
